TAMPA – On the day a 3-year-old boy died, his father had struck him several times and pulled a chair out from under him, causing the boy to strike the floor with a “thud,” investigators said.

John Taylor Baxley died soon after being transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital.

His father, 26-year-old Justin Garwacki, was arrested Wednesday on charges of aggravated child abuse, child abuse, child neglect and failing to report neglect of a child. Garwacki’s girlfriend, 21-year-old Kara O’Connell, was arrested on the same charges.

~ DID YOU KNOW? ~
By the time you finish reading this, 15 children will have been abused; In the next five minutes, 30 more; Within the next hour, 360 more; And by tonight, close to 8,000+ children will have suffered from abuse, 5 of which will die. Child abuse has increased 134% since 1980 and is now considered a worldwide epidemic. The high jump in child abuse deaths and the shocking increase in statistics highlights the frightening lack of public knowledge.